Author: Chief Editor

Azuka Onwuka When the Taliban took over Kabul, the mountainous capital city of Afghanistan last week effortlessly within two weeks of the exit of American troops, many Nigerians felt flabbergasted. They were afraid of what the fate of Afghans would be under the rule of the Taliban. They painted gory pictures of what the Taliban would do to Afghans. Ironically, in spite of the two decades of violence in Afghanistan, life expectancy in Afghanistan is 65.29, while that of Nigeria is 60.87: 59.07 years for males and 62.78 for females. According to the World Health Organisation, “the under five…

FC Barcelona forward Ansu Fati has returned to training with the Spanish LaLiga club’s first-team squad following a lengthy lay-off through injury. The 18-year-old missed the second half of last season after tearing the meniscus in his left knee in November 2020. Fati sustained the injury during FC Barcelona’s 5-2 victory over Real Betis at Camp Nou, and has subsequently undergone three operations. However, he is closing in on a return to action after being photographed back on the training pitches at FC Barcelona’s Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground on Tuesday. Although the Spain international will not be available…

Andy Robertson has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool FC, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday. The left-back who has made 177 appearances for the club to date finalised the deal at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday. “Obviously when the negotiations started and it looked as if my future was going to be here longer term than what it was, then I think it’s no secret that I’m happy at this club,” Robertson was quoted on Liverpool’s website. “I want to stay at this club for as long as possible and to extend my stay, it’s always…

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has charged judicial officers and Kadis to be impartial in all their undertakings, and to conduct their affairs within the ambit of the law. The CJN stated this while swearing-in the acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf and five Kadis of the FCT Sharia Court of Appeal in Abuja. While congratulating the newly appointed officers, Justice Muhammad admonished them to generously apply both human and material resources at their disposal, devoid of sentiments The CJN also urged them not to allow the weight of their…

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday, told the Federal High Court, Abuja that it has appealed the bail granted four of the 12 detained associates of Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, (aka Sunday Igboho). According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, when the matter was called, the counsel to the DSS, Idowu Awo, told the court that the agency was withdrawing an earlier application seeking to nullify the bail granted to the four. Awo told the court that since he had filed a notice of appeal against the bail granted to the four detainees, he would…

Former Chadian president Hissene Habre, who was serving a life term in Senegal for war crimes and crimes against humanity, has died, Senegalese Justice Minister Malick Sall said Tuesday. He was 79. “Habre is in his Lord’s hands,” Sall told the television channel TFM. Local media said he had died of Covid-19. Habre seized power in Chad in 1982, fleeing to Senegal in 1990 after he was in turn overthrown. The former leader was jailed in Senegal’s capital Dakar in 2016 after an African Union-backed trial over abuses committed during years of iron-fisted rule in Chad. Some 40,000 people are…

Zambia’s newly elected president Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday promised to rebuild the ailing economy and alleviate poverty as he was sworn in following an election hailed as a milestone for African opposition movements. “We will grow our economy so we can lift more people out of poverty than ever before,” 59-year-old Hichilema told thousands of jubilant supporters — sporting the red and yellow colours of his United Party for National Development — in the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Hichilema also vowed to restore respect for human rights and liberties eroded under his predecessor. In his sixth bid for the presidency,…

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to approve the allocation of N6 billion to all states government in the country for ranching development purposes, just as he did for his home state of Katsina. Falana, who is also the interim chair, Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), stated this in a statement issued yesterday, stressing that ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander’. He said his demand is in consonance with Section 17 (1) of the constitution, which stipulates that the people of Nigeria shall have equality of rights,…

Though gratifying, the pledge made by President Muhammadu Buhari to increase the budget for the educational sector by 50 per cent in the next two years will signify nothing unless he fulfils it in unmistakable and transparent way. Otherwise, it will remain as empty as many other promises made by his government, merely in playing to political gallery; a routine pronouncement for international summits. Ordinarily, at summits and conventions such as the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025, which Buhari attended in London recently, heads of state commit themselves in the presence of peers to…

• Benue governor threatens legal action against Buhari • Ranching: FG should allocate N6.25b to other states – Falana • Yoruba groups, analysts say FG’s move an invitation to war, anarchy • Farmers say FG should procure land for all, not only herders A seething rage is trailing last week’s directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to a committee to reclaim old grazing routes, with Nigerians kicking against the move and warning that the move could court a civil war. This new move is coming three months after the Southern states have commenced signing laws prohibiting open grazing in the 17…